Leg stump sock



Dec. 11, 1934. A, MCCANN 1,983,914

LEG STUMP SOCK Filed April 7, 1932 Mt; fiq- Ii WWW Patented Dec. 11,19341,983,914

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE John Afifci r i n fu l gt fm, N. 1.

Application April 7, 1932, Serial No. 603,788

2 Claims. (Cl. 66-70) A4 i L This invention relates to the manufactureof that is to say, the set-up connecting stitches stockings, andparticularly to stockings for am- 8 are knit by the co-operation of bothbanks putated legs, and known in the trade as leg of needlesin the Lambtype machine, and therestump socks. after, the knitting continues in theusual man- The method of knitting involved'in the presner alternately bythe two banks of needles 5 cut disclosure is applicable to tubularfabrics 9 and 11, to produce a circular knit. having a great variety ofpurposes, but is espe- 111 such case, the widening of the tocking ciallyadaptable for stump socks because of the will commence immediately afterthe set-up greater strength provided by the method dis- Joining Stitches8 have been cast on.

w closed herein, whereby the stump sock, which Referring new to Fi u4rwhieh shows the 10 is subjected to great stress between the stumpset-up st t 0 t d e banks 9 a d and the socket, is given a longer life.the machine is immediately changed so as to The object of the inventionis to provide an p r m the r u ar ci u ar knitt n as shown improvedmethod of narrowing the stocking at in u e 5- t tt or stump end of tsame It has always been the custom when widening, 15

A further object of the invention is toprovide t the D On he Outerneedle 12 to an improved stump sock and one the adjacent needle at thepoint A, then. have greater trength along t narrowing line transfer theloop on the outer needle 14 to the of same. next idle needle 15 at thepoint B, then per- According to the invention, the stump sock form the eOperation at the point C d 20 which is t on Lamb type machine, if knitthen at the point D so that in every course of upward, has the loop onthe next to th l t yarn, there will be a transferred widening stitchneedle of each end of each bank transferred at each elde 0 t stocking.over the then extreme loop and onto the next This universal h d ofwidening makes a 35 succeeding previously idle needle, and such op- Weakpoint in the Stocking y leaving larger eration occurring at every halfcourse until the Open Spaces Where t e yarn has been taken desirednarrowing is attained. fmm h Outer needle.

If knit downward, the outer loop is transferred To Overcome this j cton, I take the loop t t second needle t each n course cast oil from theneedle 16 at the point A and w The drawing illustrates an embodiment ofthe transfer it onto the idle needle and the p invention and theviews-therein are as follows: cast from the needle 17 at the Point IFigure 1 is t side View f t stump sock, transfer onto the idle needle15. In like manshowing the narrowing point about which the at the PointsC and D, I take the 1 8 east invention is centered, off from the needles18 and 19 and transfer '5 Figure 2 shows one bank of the needles of a,same into the needles 20 and 21, respectively. Lamb type knittingmachine, Referring now to Figure 3, the ends indicated Figure 3 shows afragmentary enlarged view as 8 will be understood to be the initial orcast of the stitch formation, seen from the "wrong" on stitches, asshown at Figure 4 of the drawside, ings, and the stitches 22 the firstcircular or m Figure 4 is a diagrammatic top plan of the single ply knin 4 needles and Joint, stitch at the bottom of the At this course the tccast fl o the sock, and needle 16 will be manually drawn out, crossingFigure 5 is a similar view showing by the Over the stitch supported bythe needle 12 and small circles the first regular or circular knitting aon t t e needle 3, 0n the Same bank of stitch in the tubular formationofthe stocking. needles, wh ch, p to h tim was an idle 45 When knittingin the usual manner the stump e d esock 6 is narrowed by having theouter stitch One or more, comp ete c u ses are then knittransferredinward one needle at a predeterted, as indicated at At' the Course 33 emined number of course, and the final narrowstitch cast off'from theneedle 18 will be manu- 60 ing 7 is preformed just before the tube orstockally drawn out, as shown at 35, and cast on the ing is closed atthe point 8. then idle needle 20,'also on the same bank of The foregoingdeals with the downward knitneedles. Another course 26 is then added andting of the stocking, that is from the top to the stitch cast oil fromthe needle 12 will be the tip, but in some cases, and in fact most drawnout, as indicated at '28, and cast onto the cases, the stocking is knitfrom the bottom up, needle 38. Another course 29 being knitted, the Floop cast oif'from the needle 30 will be drawn out, as indicated at 31,and cast onto the needle 34. This will be continued .until thedesiredwidth hasbeen attained, each widening being confined to its own bank ofneedles.

The widening may take place following any predetermined number ofknitted courses, depending upon the abruptness of widening founddesirable. The illustration at Figure 3 is not, therefore, intended togovern in all cases, but is merely illustrative. It will be understoodthat Figure 3 is the view from the wrong side of the knitting, at oneend of one bank of needles of the Lamb type machine, the original caston stitches 8 being indicated as cut apart and the dotted connectinglines indicating their original relation. This is necessary for thereason that showing the widening stitches for both banks of needleswould otherwise show the stitches 8 only in end elevation. Thecorresponding end of the opposite bank will, of course, be similarlytreated, while the opposite ends of the banks will be likewise treated.

It will be understood, of course, that the widening by the drawing outof the stitches, as disclosed, will be effected .alternately at oppositeends of the banks and at opposite banks at the opposite ends to givesymmetry to the knitted article.

It will also be understood that Figure 3 is purely diagrammatic, andthat the knitted article will not, in fact, have the appearance as atFigure 3, for the reason that the drawing out of the cast ofi stitches,as indicated at 35, 28 and 31, will distort the surrounding stitches,drawing them into a more compact relation whereby greater strength isattained at the line of widening.

Figure 2 illustrates the method of narrowing in case the stocking isknitted downward, and in that case, the loop on the outer needle 23 willbe transferred across the loop on the needle 24 to the hook of theneedle 25 in the direction shown by the arrow. 1

By this method of widening or narrowing, I obtain a fabric which isconsiderably stronger at the width changing point and one which will nothave the large openings or holes inherent in the present methods ofmanufacturing this type of goods.

Of course, the stocking illustrated may be modified in various wayswithout departing from the invention herein set forth and hereafterclaimed.

The invention'is hereby claimed as follows:

l. The method of widening during the production of fabric upon aknitting machine having parallel banks of needles, consisting in liftingthe last loop cast of! from one needle, sec- 0nd in line from the end ofone bank of active needles, carrying said loop across a loop upon thenext adjacent needle at the end of that bank of needles, and casting iton to the next adjacent and theretoi'ore idle needle in the same bank,as a new stitch.

2. The herein described method of widening fabrics knitted on a Lambtype machine having two banks of needles comprising the steps of first,knitting the closing stitches, then knitting normally on the two banksof said machine alternately, then transferring the loop cast off fromthe needle next to the end loop-holding needle of one bank to theadjacent idle needle, then knitting once across, then transferring theloop cast off from the next to the last loop-holding needle at the endof the bank, opposite the first transfer to the first loopless needle ofthat bank, and then continuing such transfer at each half course untilthe desired width is attained always on the same bank of needles.

JOHN A. mom;

